With Eyes Unclouded
by Avaris Sky
Summary: A spunky dramatic continuation spiel with romance, fluff and witty sarcasm; but don’t be disinclined to acquiesce to my request to R&R for yourself though, savvy? ::VH::
1. Here we go again

**_Journal Entry 87_**

_It's been three years today. Years. Such a funny, short word for such a very, very long time… I…I never knew if I would ever have the nerve to use it towards… this. _

_Sometimes…__ Sometimes I'll still wake up in the middle of the night. I don't cry anymore. This… it's past tears. Past words. What can you call something between two people that never really had a name? _

Hitomi sighed as she looked up from the journal she had been writing in, idly starring out of her window as she had so many times before. 

"Van…" 

She inhaled shakily, fighting back tears that stung her eyes. 

Her thin hand brushed away a single tear that ran down her cheek, her eyes still glistening with the promise for more as she continued to stare upward. 

"I wish I knew where I belonged…"

                                                        ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Clumsily jumping on one foot while attempting to tie her other shoe, Hitomi bounced unto the track field towards her friends waiting for her there. 

Amano was the first to see her, being the tallest of the group, and pointed the teen out to Ari, Hitomi's little brother who was sitting on his shoulders. 

"Tomi! Tomi! I'm up here! Look at me! I'm as tall as a giraffe!" The five-year-old little boy waved his arms around. "Roar!"

"I don't think giraffes roar like lions, kido." Hitomi laughed, pausing to tie her shoe, still standing on one foot.

Yukari's bright red hair shone like copper in the light as she laughed at her best friend. 

"You look like a drugged flamingo when you do that Hitomi." 

Hitomi stuck out her tongue at her.

It was a beautiful day; the late afternoon sun was bright and warmed Hitomi's skin as she happily walked and talked with her friends as they made their way to the track field. 

"Would the runners of the ladies 100 meter dash please report to the starting line," The announcer requested over the loudspeaker.

"Good luck hug?" Ari offered; his little arms spread wide. 

Hitomi grinned and picked up her little brother, spinning him around in circles. The little boy squealed happily as his big sister spun him around, before she sat him down in front on Amano.

"Be a good little giraffe for Amano and Kari, ok?" The older girl said to him, holding him by both shoulders. 

Ari rolled his eyes, "Yes 'Tomi…" 

Hitomi stood up and grinned at him and her friends.

"See you in a few minutes," She shouted over her shoulder before joining the other runners at the starting line. 

                                                        ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hitomi wiped away the thin line of sweat that had started upon her forehead as she took her running stance, cursing silently the black tar that melted and clung to her hand as she touched it. The sun had been intensely hot, and the pavement that she was now crouching on was exceeding a hundred degrees and it was burning her skin as it touched it.

"Runners to your mark…" said a man from the sidelines.

Hitomi felt her heart begin to beat faster as she stared at the finish line wavering in the heat. She could dimly make out the figures of Yukari and Amano cheering in the hazy distance. A smile spread it's self over her face, she was going to win this race. 

"Get set…"

"Take courage." Hitomi breathed as she stood there, her muscles ready to explode.   
"GO!"

The teen exploded out of the starting blocks, her long legs quickly edging her away from the pack. 

                                                       ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Weeeeeeeee!" Ari jumped up and down, waving his arms and shouting as a loud crack of thunder boomed around the track field. Ari didn't see the worried glance shared between Amano and Yukari as they looked up at the sunny, cloudless sky. 

_50 meters_

The thunder echoed again around the now silent field.

_10 meters_

"Amano… That sound… It's from my dream of the Dragon…" Yukari whispered to the older man. 

Amano's eyes grew larger.

                                                        ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hitomi sprinted, adrenaline pumping so hard in her veins she didn't even hear the crack of thunder, and her heart beating faster. Her skin tingled with anticipation, and she looked up to Gaea, which hung brightly in the sky over the finish line. 

_It's too bright _she thought her heart rising to her throat. _The last time it wad like this I… _

She felt the track field around her begin to change --- to blur--- as the spectators shouts of encouragement and happiness to screams of horror and fear. A scream was heard over the onlookers' confused shouts.

"Hitomi! NO!"

In the blur she could dimly make out Yukari and Amano crashing through the crowd towards her, shoving everyone out of their way without hesitating. Yukari's face was filled with the same fear that Hitomi felt welling up inside her. Ari's screams echoed around the field as he tried to make his way to his big sister. 

"Ari I'm going b---!" She shouted, only to be drowned out by the crowd's screams. 

_I should have told them…_ she realized, starring at her friends and little brother for what she knew would be the last time for a long time… _I should've told them about a lot of things… _She thought looking up in the flaming white light, there was no use fighting it now, she knew, as she clenched her fists as she felt herself become weightless in her new world of swirling white light.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne or its likeness. And I'm not making any money off of brainwashing poor, innocent readers into thinking that this horrible abuse of the English language is actual _worth_ a review or two… *puppy eyes* 

~Ava Sky

MINE! ALL MINE! Copyright 2001-2004 


	2. Visions of the Unknown

**Chapter 1: Visions of the Unknown**

The sunlight crept slowly across my face, causing me to wake up. 

A pale blue sky that greeted me as I lazily opened my eyes, instead of the bedroom ceiling I had been expecting. 

I have nothing against nature. Really. But after I sat up and the waves of nausea passed, my thoughts weren't on how pretty the scenery was.

No. 

Because, you see, I didn't know where I was. 

And with the wind polished mountains and the lazy, tree shaded, river I happened to be sitting on the banks of, up to about my waist in crystal clear water, I knew this wasn't the kind of place you would easily forget. 

I stood up slowly, trying not to slip on the moss covered rocks as I made my way out of the painfully cold streambed and towards the sun-warmed rocks that lined its banks, my wet sneakers making ugly squelching noise that seemed to echo around the glen. 

Painfully, I pulled myself on top of a large rock, letting its much needed warmth soak into me.

It was about then the dry, painful sobs started to rack my body. 

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I was scared. 

To tell the truth, I was scared beyond anything I could remember. 

"…Remember…" I whispered hoarsely, as another wave of nausea washed over me. "… I…don't… remember…" 

My body convulsed in dry heaves as a new fear set in. 

I didn't know who I was. 

I tried to remember something… anything…

But as I ran through my mind, looking for names… for faces of my friends… of my family… if I liked chunky peanut butter over creamy… But nothing came… 

Nothing at all… Lately, my dreams had been nothing short of mental stumbling. Flashes of pictures… people… places… would wander around my head.

I was almost too far into hysterics by this point; and my mind barely registered the hand I felt on my back, the soft warm hand that was rubbing my back in calming, slow circles.

"Shhhh… Shhh… You're safe now…"

My head jerked up from where it had been resting against my knees, and I found myself looking into a pair of deep brown eyes.

And I fell off of my rock. 

It was a boy… He was taller then me by a good four or five inches if I had been standing instead of crumpled on the ground below him, I noticed as I edged away from him backwards like a crab, my tears forgotten as I stared up at him.

"W-who are you?" My voice cracked ugly, as I attempted to wipe away my tears with the back of my hand. 

"It's me, Hitomi… Van…" He half whispered, trying to move closer to me, while I backed up for every step he took forward until my back was against the stout trunk of a tree.

^%$#. 

I stood up shakily, my mind groggily trying to figure out how to escape like a caged animal.

"I ---"

"Don't," he interrupted, moving even closer to me so we where about a foot apart, "Since you left… I… I want to… I need to tell you something before I lose my nerve."

I swallowed hard, turning my face away, trying to avoid his eyes.

He gently reached out and turned my head so I looked him in the face, so we where eye-to-eye. His eyes where the deepest brown I had ever seen. It was almost a shade of crimson red, more beautiful then the finest red wine and more deadly then blood spilled in battle… but they where filled with something I couldn't read, it look like something between longing and loving. 

He, with agonizing slowness, reached out and touched my forehead, his eyes worried as he saw my blood on his finger tips… 

I flinched at his touch, but he didn't seem to notice as he let his other hand brush lightly over my cheek, stopping to cup my chin. 

I was sure that he could hear my heart beating; every beat was like a stabbing pain against my bruised ribs… 

"Hitomi… I love you." 

I felt like my heart was going to explode it was beating so fast, and my eyes grew wide with fear as he leaned over me, his lips brushing mine…

"I love you." He whispered again, his mouth closing around mine before I could reply… 

His arms snaked around my waist; I could feel his heart beating painfully against me…

I would have fallen over if it weren't for his arms around me… holding me tight…

He leaned in closer to me, the hilt of his sword digging into my stomach, kissing me harder like he was afraid that I would disappear and he would wake up and finding this was all a horrible dream, the bark of the tree digging into my back. 

I shoved him away, ripping my mouth away from his. 

I was shaking uncontrollably by this point.

His… Van's… face turned crimson red with embracement, "It's me, Hitomi… Me, Van…" His eyes grew larger with fear, "Don't you remember me?" 

"I--- don't remember…anything…" I whispered hoarsely, avoiding his eyes.

He moved closer to me, his hand outstretched in a comforting way, but I lurched back from his touch as if he was poison.

I don't remember what happened next. 

Everything was blurred with tears… and with pain… 

All I knew it I was running. 

And I was running away from Van.

I could hear Van's shouts as he came after me, the sound of his heavy footsteps crunching through the brush as he tried to follow me. 

My clothes easily caught on low hanging branches in my flight, and at one point I fell and cut up the palms of my hands on the sharp stones. But I kept running. 

I ran until I couldn't move anymore… my feet felt like lead. I don't know how long I ran… minutes, hours, or all night? All I knew… I had to get away… from the fear… 

He…Van… caught up with me… at some point… I could hear his ragged breathing as it echoed around the silent forest… 

We where both walking now… him just far enough behind me that… he thought I couldn't see him and yet he could see me… I kept walking though, half tripping over my feet… We must've gone on for a mile like that… Pretending to be oblivious to the other, but aware of them all the same… 

Then… I was gasping for breath like a fish out of water… I coughed… there was the rich metallic taste of… blood… in my mouth… 

My head hurt… I wanted to sleep… to never open my eyes again… 

I felt Van beside me then… his arms around my shoulders… as everything started to swirl before me… 

Something flashed past my eyes… An arrow…?

"Get down!" I heard Van shout from so far away… 

He crushed me to the ground… with his body… on top… of mine... somebody was… laughing… calling… Van… a… fool… 

I turned to see his face… his forehead… creased… worriedly… 

His mouth moved… but no sound came out as… 

He… Van… stood… 

Up…he was… 

Angry… 

I… 

I blacked out.

 R&R … Avaris Sky 2001/2004 


	3. With Eyes Unseeing

**Chapter Two: With Eyes Unseeing**

_"Lord Van, please answer me! Lord Van!"   
            _

_ "Blood from the control chamber..." _

_                            
 "Van! Van, hang on! Can you hear me? Van, wake up!" _

_               
   
 "Van!" _

_             
   
 "Van..."___

"Van…?" I mumbled, lolling my head to the side. Distantly, I could make out a slew of swear words and the grinding sound of metal on metal.            

"Hitomi?! Get out of here!" 

I stumbled to my feet groggily; Van was standing about ten yards away, deep in combat with three people, jumping over what looked like to bodies on the ground…no… they can't be… 

"I said get the #@$% out of here, blast you!" He shouted at me again, blocking gracefully a swing to his head, breaking my horrified stare down with the dead bodies on the ground. 

"Excuse me? Where do you think I should run exactly?" 

In case you haven't figured out where we where yet, we where in a forest, it was dark and there where some sad little men bent on taking over the world while cutting off my head, while some dude who I take was my boyfriend or something trying to protect my while getting his butt kicked. 

And I had almost run myself to death, could hardly stand up _and_ was bleeding. 

Peachy, just keen peachy.

If I turned out to be this Hitomi chic when I got my memory back, I sure had dang good taste in men who where so not in touch with their feelings. I felt sorry for them, maybe I could get cable TV hooked up out here and instead of fighting, we all could go over to my house—wherever that was—and watch Oprah while drinking herbal tea.

"Hitomi, duck!" Van shouted trying to work the fight so he could be closer so he could protect me.

Of course, I dropped to the ground, quite shaken when I saw a flash of metal -- a _sword--- _where my head had been. There was the general name calling from the over weight smelly dude who owned the sword when he saw that he missed.

And this made me mad being called a large amount of four letters when the guy had the hygiene of a dead pig. 

So mad I somehow managed to do a one-legged judo kick square at his stomach, knocking the air out of him and sending his sword in the air. 

While he was stunned, I made a mad dash on my hands and knees towards the broad sword, hoping that I could use it somehow. 

My hand had just closed around the hilt when he kicked my in the chest, making me see stars as I crashed through the air with the greatest of ease. 

I looked up to see him as he neared me, his sword drawn and pointed at my neck, my breathing stopped and my heart skipped a dozen beats as everything started to slow down around me… 

I rolled over to my side, trying anything to get away from the blade that was flashing through the air like lightning… I closed my eyes, praying that it would all end soon… 

The blade crashed to the earth harmlessly to my side, less then a hair away, vibrating slowly. 

I laid there for what seemed to be forever starring at that, thinking what if I hadn't been that fast or had eaten five or six extra Little Debbie's cupcakes, when somebody's hands roughly grabbed me from behind and hauled me to my feet. 

And I, in the light of the current events and the multitude of times I had almost been decapitated in a short amount of time, screamed for all I was worth. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

"Hitomi! It's me!" Van hissed in my ear, shaking me slightly. 

"Oh… sorry."

"Sorry? You almost scared me half to death you little fool." He said angrily his hands still on my shoulders.

"Nice to see you alive too." I said jerking out of his grasp and brushing my clothes off. 

He snorted and absently cleaned off his sword on the tunic of the man who had the hygiene of a dead… guy. 

The urge to throw up on Van washed over me, but I ignored it out of complete respect towards some guy who probably saved my life.

"You' re injured." Van said calmly looking at me after he had sheathed his sword.

"What?"

"You're injured." He repeated, cautiously touching the cut on my forehead. I flinched. 

"No I'm not; I am in the best of health of my entire life." 

Van half laughed and gave a high pitched whistle. "All the same, I must insist that you come with me to a healer." 

"And if I choose not to?" I challenged, folding my arms across my chest. 

"You forget which one of us is holding the sword, Hitomi." He answered, whistling again.

I frowned, "I am not afraid of you."

A horse came trotting out of the bush to my left.

"I never said you where," He shot back, holding his hand out to the horse.

"Then say that I choose to go with you---- and I am not saying I am --- I will only go peacefully under one condition."

"And that is?" He grabbed at the reins of the horse, twisting them about one hand. 

"No more decapitations." 

He half laughed, glancing sideways at me. 

"Deal." 

R&R… Copyright by Avaris Sky 2001-2004


	4. Dreams of The Past

**Chapter Three: Dreams of the Past**

~I sighed. Hitomi had been asleep for about an hour now, her head lying on my shoulder like it used to so long ago when we where fighting Zaibach. 

Why can't things be as they where?

She is so much the same, but yet different. Her hair still has the scent of roses that grow in the spring, like the ones in my family's cemetery. But, she isn't who she was when she left, her eyes are filled with something different then they where when she was taken away from me the Last Time, not filled with the love and longing for my touch that she know shies away from. Now they are filled with the pain of something I cannot protect her from… her lost memories.

When I saw her standing there, like a mermaid out of water by that stream so many hours ago; my heart was so filled with love and wanting that there is no words to describe it. I wanted right then and there to tell her that I love her and to hear her say that she loves me too. 

But she couldn't… I was dead to her, like a dream that she had woken up from and cast away as foolishly childish. 

Why can't things be as they where?

I laugh at the irony of it all; I had gotten back my true love to find that she couldn't remember me, that I couldn't protect her when she needed it the most. I didn't deserve the love that she had once showed me. 

I was so afraid, that I was doomed to loose her again, as I had for so long in the visions of her that haunt my sleep even now, when she ran away from me after I had held her in my arms after our first kiss. 

Our kiss.

I swore at myself just remembering it, no wonder she is now so afraid for me to touch her, she must think me mad. 

I had dreamt of that moment for so long; how I would proclaim my love for her, how then I would sweep her off her feet like I had seen Allen do to her before. Then how it would feel to hold her in my arms again, and how I would realize she was perfect for me as our lips met. 

But the fear I saw in her eyes as she stumbled back from me after my sweet embrace, that is something that would now haunt my sleep for many a moon. 

I know that even when she finds her lost self, that she will never be the same as she was the last time I held her in my arms like this. Because, those three years we spent apart has changed me too… In more ways then even I thought possible. Before I met her I was just Van, not a king and most defiantly not a hero. But after she went back I changed as one would think a young king and Great War hero would… I grew up. 

But I still would always love her.

And I could wait for the day when she too would love me again.

                                                               ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I stirred slightly; keeping my eyes closed while still hoping that it is all just a nightmare… My head was resting against someone's shoulder; the soft material smelling like the wind and the forest. I can feel a chin resting lightly against my head, and hands on my back, protectively holding me close. I can hear something… heartbeat. And the creaking of leather. I groaned; all my hope dying in that this is a dream. 

"Welcome back to the land of the living." 

I snorted, but I didn't feel like being mad at him now, and opened one eye, "Are we there yet?" 

"Yes. We are just outside of the palace stables." 

"Wonderful," I sat up a little, leaning off of Van's shoulder so I could look around, but my body screamed in protest. 

"You might be slightly sore… You had a rather rough night." 

I nodded sleepily in agreement, and settled back onto his shoulder, far too tired to notice that how all of his muscles suddenly relaxed again. 

We stopped, and he dismounted first before turning around and placing his hands on my hips, swinging me down from the saddle.  

As soon as my feet hit the ground, my knees where like jelly, and a moan escaped through my dry and cracked lips as the world in front of me started to spin.

I hit the ground like a ton of bricks. 

                                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I shot up right in my bed, out of breath and shaking with both fear and pain. No, this can't be real… it was only a dream… an illusion… I felt somebody's hand on my shoulder. I jerked around, afraid of having somebody where I couldn't see them. Van's worried face came into focus, frown lines creasing his face. 

"You are safe now, you blacked out again," He said quietly, his eyes filled with unspoken worry. 

I sighed and collapsed back against the pillows. Van glanced over his shoulder and motioned for a man and a woman who where talking next to the door on the edge of my blurry vision, to leave. After he was sure they left; he sat down on the side of my bed, about a foot away from me. As he sat down I saw that his hair was several shades darker then it was before and wet, and there was a large white cloth wrapped around his left biceps. 

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, neither moving. 

"So… um… how are you feeling?" 

"I'll live. And you?" 

He looked puzzled until he saw me looking at his arm, "This? I have had far worse then this, won't even leave a scar." 

I rolled my eyes. "Men." 

He laughed, the sound of it echoing around the chamber in the silence that followed it. 

"If you need anything else, lady, all you have to do is ask the maid." He stood up, looking as if there was something else he wanted to say, but decided against it, and started to walk towards the edge of my blurry vision.

"Hey Van." 

He stopped with his hand on the door handle. "Yes?" 

I closed my eyes, and ready for unconsciousness to claim me. "Thanks."

"For what?" 

"For everything." 

He smiled softly at me and walked silently out of the door. 

R&R… Avaris Sky 2001-2004


	5. Passions Jaded

**Chapter Four: Passions Jaded******

My eyes snapped open as I lay there on the bed, the silken blankets of it twisted around me. I shivered; my body was covered with cold sweat caused by dreamless sleep. I groggily sat up in the darkened room, flinching as the sudden jolt of pain drove the last of the sleepiness from my body. 

"…Please…" 

I jumped and my heart skipped a few beats as the whisper echoed through out the silent room. My head felt so heavy as I turned it slowly in the direction of the voice, my heart rising to my throat as I dimly made out who it was--- Van 

He was lying next to me on the bed, his arms draped around me. The moonlight played softly across his askew hair… and down across… h-his… his… bare chest… "No… please… Hitomi…" He whispered hoarsely, tossing in his sleep, fighting off unseen demons. I swallowed hard, unsure of what I was going to do. As much as he vexed me… frightened me… Nobody should face nightmares alone. Without thinking I reached out towards him, I wanted to wake him up… 

"Hitomi—!" 

He bolted upright, his hand snapping out and closing around my wavering wrist. 

His eyes where blank as he stared; glazed over like he still dreaming. We laid there forever; neither moving, Van holding one of my hands in mid-air with his own… his other twisted around my waist. I was shaking with fear as tears started to blur my vision… I-I didn't know what he was going to do to me.

My head was throbbing with pain as his other hand… the one that had been around my waist, drifted upward…brushing away the tears that had escaped from my eyes… Thoughts tumbled through my head a-as he dropped my wrist… one thought falling over the other of things to say, of things to do… Van leaned closer to me… wrapping his arms around me… calmly stroking my damp hair… as he held me to his bare chest until… until my trembling slowed…I felt so cold…He whispered something… into my hair that I couldn't hear… I nodded sleepily as I felt… my grip on the waking… world grew weak…my tears trickling… down into the hollow… of h-his neck as… as my… crying… slowed… I… 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I woke a few hours later, the throbbing pain in my head numbed. I idly watched translucent curtains of the bed as they fluttered in the wind, visions of painkillers dancing in my head.

^%$#, I wish I had some Tylenol.

I stifled a yawn and rolled over; breathing in the calming scent that lingered on the pillow…It was the smell of the wind… the smell of…

The smell of Van… 

I groaned, my face heating up as I remembered what happened last night. The blankets where twisted where he had lain last night holding me, the only sign that it hadn't been a dream.

I swore to myself and hid my heated face under a pillow as the doors on the far side of the room where flung open and a high-pitched shout came from the entrance.

"_Hitomi_!"

"Wha--- _opmh_!"

A blur of pink and orange pounced on top of me, almost knocking me over as it hugged me tightly. 

"Hitomi, I'm soooo glad you came back! Lord Van and I missed you everyday you where gone!" The thing said--- no--- _purred_ at me, licking the side of my cheek.

I'm dead serious. 

It **licked** me. On the cheek.

As if it was some kind of—

"Cat! You're a CAT!"

The _thing_ giggled as it jumped off me and sat at the foot of the bed, her tail twitching. "Of course silly, what else could I have been?"

I ignored that comment and tried to concentrate on the really important facts: I have a talking cat in my bedroom. I have a talking cat in my bedroom where I fell asleep last night in a complete stranger's arm. 

And the fact I have a talking cat in my bedroom. 

Yep, most definitely not in Kansas anymore Toto. 

"Hitomi?" The cat-girl asked tilting her head to one side, her eyes wide, "What did you do to yourself?"

"Huh?" 

The cat-girl pointed to the snow-white bandages that where wrapped tightly about every inch of my skin that showed out from underneath my pale green nightclothes. 

No wonder it hurt to move, I was a mummy of Band-Aids.

"I--- umm…"

"Lady Merle!"

The cat-girl must've jumped three feet in the air when she heard that voice. Not that I didn't too or anything… I am in a delicate place in my life, having a talking cat in my bedroom, and almost being killed several dozen times… so maybe I jumped a little… just a little though… It's not like I did the girly-girl thing and give this feminine gasp and clutch sheets to my chest or anything… I just kinda jumped ten and a half feet in the air and felt like I was going to have a heart attack.

"Merle, _please,_ she needs rest." The voice continued as a girl that looked slightly older then me, walked through the door.

I looked around. Rest? Me? I feel like I've been asleep for weeks in my dreams and I need _more_ rest? I think I'll probably die if I have to spend one more hour in la-la land.

"I feel fine." I told her as I moved to get out of bed, trying not to flinch as I saw more bandages wrapped around my legs. Bloody %^$# girl, what did I do to myself?

The girl sighed, sadly shaking her head, causing her thick brown hair to ripple around her shoulders. 

"Lord Van said you might be like this…"

"He guessed right then." I said gingerly getting to my feet and taking a few slow steps towards the window. Walking is an art form. Ouch. Walking is a very painful art form.

"As you wish then, my lady," The girl said quietly bowing. "My name is Rena, and if you wish anything during your stay here, feel free to tell me."

A smile crossed my face at the thought of the thing I wanted most right now, "Well, there is one thing…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mmmm…"

You could practically see the dirt and that gross stuff that grows between your toes dissolve off me as I slipped into the warm water of the bath. I am dead serious. Not to be gross or anything but I don't think it was possible to be anymore dirty or grimy as I was then. I mean come on, running rampant in the wood with a guy and his trusty toothpick doesn't really do wonders for the skin, if you know what I mean. 

My bones and tired muscles seemed to melt into happy piles of Jell-O as I sat there in the water… I didn't think anything could ever feel as good as that bath did… Well, maybe a hot guy masseuse giving me a back rub, but beggars can't be choosers…

I splashed the water slowly over my arms, noticing the splotchy reddish blue bruises against my pale skin. I didn't know which I was more worried about; the seemingly endless ring-around the bruises that rampaged on my body, or my lack of actual skin color, because seriously, I was pale… really… really… pale.

I sighed, and dived under the water, rising a few minutes later on the other end of the industrial sized bath tub that could've passed for a swimming pool… 

Maybe a bikini and a few hours out in the sun with the personal masseuse was needed instead. 

"Are you done yet Hitomi?" a faint shout came from outside.

"Not a chance Merle!" I shouted, grabbing a bar of soap from the side of the tub. Soap… my long lost friend… how I've missed you. 

"Hurry up! You've been in there for ever!" Merle continued from where she was outside.

As if I was going to be done drowning myself in ten minutes. Jeez, a girl like me has to meet her old friends, you know Miss Soap and Mr. and Mrs. Warm Water and the rest of the gang. 

"Please hurry?" Merle added, "You won't believe what--- ia dound youah ta lair!"

I sighed and sunk lower into the water, the only thing above it was my nose as Merle babbled on and on about something she had 'dound'. My stomach rumbled loudly as I laid there turning into a human prune and added another part into my fantasy: a bikini on a sunny beach with a personal masseuse and a super-sized Big Mac. I sighed and drifted into la-la land, visions of Big Macs dancing in my head.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~…I felt the fading light of the moon on my back as I sat at my desk, my chin cupped in my hands as my mind wondered for the thousandth time in the past few hours… to the bedroom that was only a few hundred feet away from me now.

It strikes me as almost funny; I'm so close to her but yet so far. 

Had it been three years ago I would be sitting up there with her already, her daydreaming about something and me cleaning my sword. 

But it's not three years ago, is it? 

No, instead of being near the one person who I've longed to see again, I'm here, twiddling my thumbs because I don't know what to say to her.

I've haven't talked to her in almost two years… not since the night of her sixteenth birthday when I gave her… when I gave her my promise and something to remember me by. 

A locket. 

I still remember her eyes when she freed the small box from it paper coverings, growing larger and dancing with their own light as she saw the locket. She had tried to thank me properly, but since only my ghost-like form was able to make the journey, her gentle kiss passed right through my lips. But I had gotten the idea. 

That night she also promised me again that she would never forget me, even when she grows old… and that one-day she will be with me again… 

Something happened a few days later though, I could feel her pain from it a planet away, tearing into my heart like I thought nothing could do since she left me. 

But she wouldn't tell me what was wrong no matter how much I pleaded with her… no matter how much I begged and threatened.

I hated to see her like that, but she seemed to lock me out then, from her thoughts… From herself… 

Seeing her and talking to her through thoughts became more and more difficult, nearly impossible even.

That is, until two days ago when the pillar of light brought her back to me. Even if she still could remember who I am, what we had been through together… I…

I don't know what I would say.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I am not wearing that."

"Why ever not? It would bring out your eyes so nicely." Merles said holding out a pale pink gown to me. 

"Its…" I waved my hand hopelessly at the dress, "_Pink_."

"And you're point would be, what? **I** like pink." She asked lying it down on my bed. 

I sighed, and flinched as a Rena yanked out half of my still wet hair, almost making me almost drop my tea.

"Ouch!" 

"Sorry, milady." 

I flinched again as she hit another tangle, biting my tongue as some of my colorful lingo tried to blurt itself out.

"Please Hitomi, just try on the dress?" Merle asked, giving me the ol' puppy dog eyes.

I rolled my eyes and stared up at the ceiling, this kid was way too cute for her own good, one day she was going to kill some boy with those eyes of hers. Or quite possibly knock him unconscious with her tail. 

Merle sighed again, "Hitomi, _please_---"

"Isn't it a little late for a fashion show ladies?" a deep voice asked from the doorway. 

"It's _never_ to late to talk about the beauty of a cute pink dress." The cat girl shot back, picking up the dress and swirling it around. 

Leaning to the side, I peered around her to see whom she was talking to. 

A very tired looking Van, his hair more disheveled then usual, met my eyes.

He grinned at me sheepishly. 

"Hey…" 

My teacup fell to the floor with a clatter as it broke into tiny shards around my bare feet.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne or it's likeness. And I'm not making any money off of brainwashing poor, innocent readers into thinking that this horrible abuse of the English language is actual _worth_ a review or two… *puppy eyes* 

Version 5 (updated 1/2/04)


	6. Run To You

**Chapter Five: Run To You**

"Heh… heh… heh…" I smiled weakly at the raven-haired teen that was, quite frankly, staring at me, "Hey…" 

"Will you two please excuse us?" Van asked; his eyes not leaving my face. 

I felt all the blood drain from my face.

I'm going to die.

"Well, I know when I'm not wanted," The cat girl sniffed, wiping away a fake tear, "Let's go cause chaos and destruction else where Rena." 

Rena shot me a supportive smile as she and Merle made a tactful retreat, leaving me to face Van alone. 

Van turned and slowly smiled at me, his deep brown eyes searching my face for something, long after Merle and Rena's footsteps faded into nothing down the hall… 

I shivered in spite of myself under his gaze and looked away. His smile faded slowly as he saw me look away, and he nervously ran his fingers through his hair as he awkwardly shifted his feet as he sorted out his thoughts into words. 

"Do you mind if we sit---?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice as I sunk back down on the sofa where I had been sitting before, pulling a blanket protectively around my nearly bare shoulders.

Van sighed, and gingerly sat down next to me, well, next to in the sense we where about three feet apart.

We where both avoiding each other's eyes by this point, I was fidgeting with the tangled blanket between nervous glances at him. 

The silence was almost deafening. 

Van coughed loudly, making me look at him eye-to-eye "So…how are you feeling?" 

"Better… thanks…" I paused, lowering my eyes from his so I could study the blanket with renewed interest. "And you?" 

"Tired… very tired…" He sighed and leaned back farther against the sofa, closing his eyes. "Merle was keeping you company because I've been stuck in final negations for the better part of the day…"

He sat up, looking at me closely, "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You still look rather pale…" 

I nodded, closing my eyes as I leaned lethargically back on the sofa. 

I could feel his eyes on me and I shivered, suddenly wishing that I were wearing something else other then my somewhat revealing nightgown… like a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversized turtleneck kind of something.

We drifted back into the awkward silence, neither of us knowing where to start. 

I slowly opened one eye and quickly glanced over at him. He was staring up at the ceiling, his unnerving eyes glazed over with thought, his wild hair covering one of his eyes. 

He wasn't _bad_ looking to say the least; in fact I thought he was rather… well… you know… 

And with that stupid warm, fuzzy feeling I seem to get when I'm around him welling up in my chest I just wanted to--- no… no… I'm not even going to go _there_.

His head lolled to the side, and he looked at me questioningly.

"What?" He asked, his eyes still holding that glazed look. 

"Excuse me?" I asked, my face heating up, embarrassed to be caught staring. 

He shrugged and looked back up at the ceiling, "You just looked like you wanted to ask me something." 

I laughed, and joined him in the staring contest with the ceiling, "Where to start…" 

Thoughts bounced around my head as I took a deep breath, and looked at him eye-to-eye. 

"Did you ever meet my family?" 

He sighed and looked back up at the ceiling, "Not formally, but once. A little after your 16th birthday." 

I bit my lip, "What where they like?" 

Van smiled over at me, and draped his arm over the back of the sofa. "They were… really nice… and they loved you a lot." 

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized that I had been holding. 

So I _wasn't_ from a family of serial killers.

"Can you tell me more about them? Please?" I moved a little closer to him, sitting cross-legged so I could look right at him.           

                                                             ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Things went smoother after that, between Van and me. There still was the awkward teenage moments where you probably could've cut the tension with a knife and served it up on a silver platter, but they where short-lived. 

Van described my entire family to me, from my hyper baby brother named 'Ari' to my orange kitten named 'Riku'. He kept me laughing then, telling me stories about growing up in a castle, and about sneaking out in the middle of the night to steal cookies from the kitchens. 

Mind you, when the talk of childhood memories came around, the conversations were slightly one-sided because I didn't remember any of mine, but I tried not to show how much it hurt me. Because it did.

A lot. 

I can't describe how pathetic I felt, I felt like I was looking into a window from the outside into my life, and the blinds where drawn. It was frustrating, heart retching and most of all: terrifying. 

"---And of course then, I really did fall out of the window." Van said, laughing.

I grinned weakly, the hot sting of new tears filing my eyes.

Van immediately stopped laughing, his eyes searching my face. "What's wrong?" 

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, vainly attempting a weak smile for him, "Nothing… I'm just…" I took a shaky breath, "I'm just a little tired, that's all." 

He nodded, if he saw through my lie he didn't say anything. 

"Hitomi…" He moved to brush away a tear that I had missed. I tensed up and pulled away. I've already fallen crying into the guy's arms once, and I wasn't aiming for it to be twice.

He swallowed hard then, and looked away, his eyes glazed over again. 

"Do you want me to stay?" He whispered, not looking at me. 

I blinked a few times, trying to keep from crying in front of him, "No… I'll be fine…" 

He nodded and leaned forward, roughly kissing my forehead before he pulled away and got up. 

Dazed, I called out after him

"Hey Van…?" 

"Hmmm…?" He asked, turning around. 

I blushed, and wiped away some more tears, "Thanks for telling me about my family. It meant the world to me." 

Van grinned sheepishly at me.

"Try to get some rest, okay…?" He said over his shoulder as he disappeared out of the room.

I nodded, waiting until he was gone for sure before a sob escaped my throat. Tears streaming down my face as I curled up in the feudal position on the couch. 

                                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_"Ari!"_

_The sandy haired boy stops dead in his tracks, like a deer caught in the headlights. _

_Hitomi?"__ He whisper in a small voice, afraid of the answer. _

_"Ari?"__ The voice calls out again. _

_He spins around frantically, trying to find her, as his eyes blur with tears. _

_There. He sees here, tall, slender with hair and eyes the same colors as his own. He runs towards her. _

_She opened up her arms reflexively as he tackled her, his  body shaking with sobs. _

_"Hitomi… please… I just want you to… to come back home." _

_He open my mouth to tell her how much he's  missed her but a flash of white light surrounds us, trying to pull his sister away from him. The girl screams for him not to let go. _

_"HITOMI!"_

"Noooooooooo!" 

Ari bolted upright on the couch; his body covered with cold sweat as his own scream pulled him from the dream. 

Gasping for breath, he ran his hands through his light sandy hair, trying to calm himself.

That was the fifth time this week he'd had that dream of her… 

He bit his lip, drawing blood as his body shakes with dry sobs. 

It just keeps getting worse… 

_I just wish that she'd---_

_No. _

_I'm not going to think about that._

_I'm not going to think about how my sister isn't ever coming home again._

Taking a shaky breath to hold the tears at bay, he curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He drew my knees to his chest, pulling the blankets tighter around himself, and waited for the empty silence of the house lulled him back to sleep. 

He was more then half-asleep, the only light coming from his wristwatch reading 1:53PM, when he heard it. 

The faint grate of a key in a lock and the soft footsteps of bare feet. 

Too tired to look up, he simply mumbled a greeting as Amano tuck the blanket around him tighter, his tongue clicking with worry as he saw the faint trails of tears across the little  boy's cheeks. 

"… Don't worry Ari… We'll find her… I swear…"

R&R… Avaris Sky… 2001-2004


	7. Bittersweet Romance

"…Memories fade, they're designed that way…" 

~*~ Savage Garden 

**Chapter Six: Bittersweet Romance**

I woke up with a start, blinking my eyes hard so they adjusted to the pitch-blackness of the room. 

_Something_ was in my room. 

Slowly, with my heartbeat echoing in my ears, I lolled my head to the side.

A pair of glowing florescent green eyes met mine. 

"Boo."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I swung my pillow at the owner of the eyes with such force that even Superman would've flinched upon impact. 

Merle fell backwards off of the bed and onto the floor with an ugly thud, promptly followed by a string of curse words.

"What was that for?" She hissed, jumping back to her feet. 

I grinned weakly at her, "Heh… heh…  I thought you where trying to kill me in my sleep." 

"Well, I'm defiantly gonna now…" She mumbled, rubbing the back of her head as she crawled back unto the bed. 

Shrugging, I laid back down, pulling the covers up after me. "So now that you're done hazing me, do you mind if I go back to sleep?" 

The cat girl frowned, obviously looking around the room for something, "So?"

"So what?" I yawned, curling back up underneath the blankets. 

"Am I an aunty yet?" The cat girl asked, grinning ear to ear. 

My face felt like it was on fire.

Mental note to self: 

Invest in a dog. A very big dog.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"It was just a joke Hitomi." Merle said through a mouthful of food. 

"I know." I said, sticking my tongue out at her before popping a grape into my mouth. "And I'm going to get you back for it."

"Hold still Hitomi, or I might just hem you into the dress." Rena mumbled, her mouth full of pins.

I sighed and did what the older girl asked, staring off out of my bedroom window that overlooked the gardens. 

I hadn't talked to Van since last night, and the entire kiss thing kept nagging me from the back of my mind.

I _liked_ Van. 

A lot. 

And Van seemed to _like_ me.

A lot.

And that scares me.

A lot.

I've known the guy for less then a week, but I still…

I shivered, despite the warmness of the bright afternoon, ignoring the reprehending look from Rena. 

Out of all the things I didn't remember, you'd think that knowing if I was in love wouldn't be one of them…

"There, finished." Rena pulled away, eyeing her handiwork on the hem of my dress. "What do you think?" 

I looked up into the mirror at the flushed looking girl staring back at me in a beautiful pale blue gown that was bound to her waist by a lacy white sash.  

I spun around in front of the mirror, watching the skirt fluff out around me like a little girl would, my petticoats peeking out from underneath the yards and yards of soft fabric.

"You're just so beautiful." Merle sobbed, wiping away a fake tear. "I'm going to have adorable nieces and nephews."

I stopped spinning and looked at the cat girl with an evil eye that could've stopped a hardened military tycoon in his tracks. 

Merle paled. 

"Heh… heh…" The cat girl giggled nervously, edging away from me. "Joke…?" 

"_Bad kitty_!" I shouted, lurching at her, promptly tripping on the edge of the dress.  

Rena raised an eyebrow and looked down at me where I had fallen face first, "I think I still need to shorten the hem a few more inches…" 

Merle just giggled.

"Is this a bad time?" Asked a male voice from the door. 

I propped myself up on one elbow and looked at the door. 

A tawny cat-man stood there, dressed in a simple forest green tunic and pants.  

"I-I didn't hear you come in… Seigi…" Merle squeaked, her face flushing as she fluffed her hair, "What's up?" 

I looked back and forth between Merle and the cat-man she was batting her eyes at.

I grinned evilly. 

Revenge is sweet.

"Lord Van wishes yours and the Lady Hitomi's presence in his study." Seigi said, bowing before he walked out of the room, his tail swishing behind him.

Merle sighed dreamily as she watched him go. I giggled. 

"What?" The flustered cat demanded. 

I smiled angelically at her and batted my eyes at her playfully. "Merle and Seigi sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-"  

Merle groaned and covered her ears, her face bright red despite it's fur. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Within an hour, the evening twilight found me curled up on the sofa of Van's private study. 

I sat there, with my chin cupped in my hands, looking out the window up at the twin moons. 

Van had told me last night during our little heart-to-heart about a lot of things. 

About how we had met, how I had the gift of the Sight, and how I wasn't on Earth anymore. The last of the three wasn't a big of a shocker as you might think it was… I think I'd be a little more thrown of balance if I traveled back through time instead of traveling to another planet. As much as I would love to meet the Flintstones and the rest of the gang, I feel a little safer here with a bunch of complete strangers on a planet that you can't see from Earth, as strange as that sounds.  

"Thinking?" Van asked as he looked up from the book he had been pretending to be reading for the past fifteen minutes or so.

I nodded, pulling my gaze away from Earth, looking instead at the raven-haired boy who was sprawled out across the couch next to me.  

"About wh--?" 

A soft knock at the door interrupted him. 

"Come in." Van called out as he heaved himself to a sitting position, letting out a soft sigh of frustration.

A little girl of about seven or eight came through the door, glancing about nervously with her bright green eyes. 

"Yes Miyako?" Van asked, his face softening as he looked at the little girl. 

The little girl handed Van an envelope, blushing slightly. "Pappa said a messenger just d-delivered this for you." 

"Thank you very much Miyako…" Van said, smiling at her as he ruffled her white-blond hair as he took the thick parchment from her. "Sweet dreams…" 

The little girl blushed again and almost ran out of the room, the door closing behind her with a faint _click_. 

"Who's it from?" Merle asked, sitting up on one elbow from in front of the fireplace where she too had been reading. I watched Van pull out a dagger from his boot, carefully opening the wax seal and scanning the letter's content. 

"Allen." He said finally, not bothering to look up. 

"Well, what are you waiting for? What does it say?!" Merle demanded. 

Van rolled his eyes and started reading, "He sends his and Celeana's fondest regards… Their in Palas still… Allen says that they received a message from a scout that a mysterious white light was seen over Fanelia three nights ago… He says that he's en route to here… And that he should arrive here sometime tomorrow afternoon…" 

Van paused, his forehead creasing.

"Anything else?" Merle asked excitedly, peering over his knee at the letter. 

Van shifted the letter away from the cat girl's prying eyes before she could read anything, "Just political talk, nothing important." 

Merle rolled her eyes, standing up, the book she had been reading in hand "Can I borrow this book, Van?"

Van nodded absently, his brow furrowed with deep thought as he continued reading the letter. 

Merle rolled her eyes again and yawned, "Good night 'Tomi…" 

"'Night Merle." I yawned, pushing a stray hair behind my ear.

The room was eerily quite after the cat-girl left; the flickering flames of the fire making the silence feel almost surreal. 

I fidgeted with the sleeve of my dress, "Can I ask you something Van?" 

"Hmmm…?" 

"Who's Allen?"  

Van mumbled something I didn't quite catch and he carefully folded the letter again, sliding into the pages of his unread book for safekeeping. He looked at me for a moment, running his hand through his hair, looking at the fire instead of me while he talked.

"A old friend from Austria… He----"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~"---- And that's how we met Allen." 

The embers of the fire had faded to almost nothing during my story, and so the room was bathed in almost complete darkness of the night. 

"I-I wish I could remember…" The slender girl next to me mumbled, shattering the silence of the room as she let out the shaky breath of someone who's crying.

Unconsciously my hand went out and cupped the side of her face, and I felt like a knife had been slide into my heart as the tears that ran down her cheeks crossed my hands. 

I never meant for her to cry…

Gingerly, I pulled her into my arms, and she seemed almost to collapse into me as she sobbed tears of pent-up frustration, exhaustion, and so many other out of control emotions. 

I held on tighter to her with each shuddering breath, unsure of how to ease her pain except to hold her. 

I-I don't know how long I held her… but softly her heart retching sobs ebbed into nothingness as sleep claimed her. 

Slowly, I tried to move away so that I could lay Hitomi down on the couch, suddenly painfully aware of our close proximity. After her shyness during last night… As enticing it was to spend an entire night with the person who've I've spent so many sleepless night thinking of… I-I didn't want to do anything that would cause her any more confusion or pain.  

I could feel the heat from her breath as she sleepily nuzzled against my neck, clutching unto me with a sleep noise of protest as I tired to timidly pull out of her grasp.

"Please… stay…" She mumbled sleepily, draping her arms around my waist. 

I immediately stilled and let her sink limply back against my chest, re-wrapping both arms around her. 

I didn't try to move again.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Escaflowne or it's likeness and I'm making no profit off of this gross misuse of the English language. 

**A/N:** *cackles* 2 updates in less then a week. I'm defiantly making up for lost time. Oh, and if anyone wants to see more fluff, I strongly urge you to review, like these nice people did: 

**Pnk_Panther_2277**: Defiantly savvy *nod* *nod* *nod* *nod* *nod* Thx 4 t3h review.

**SabineballZ:** Yeah, that last bit in the last chapter was from Ari's POV. _ I really didn't get him to sound like a 5-year-old though, did I? *Evil smirk* Oh, and Hitomi's memory will be coming back on the next two or three chapters. What happens then is a secret. Thanks for reviewing!

**Aeka-himme:** Thanks for reviewing!  I added some more humor-ish stuff to this chapter for you. *^_^ I hope you liked it!

**Leo:** Where have I been? Well… You see; I was a rogue secret spy for a top-secret government agency. Really. Things where going great until I met up with Mr. Chuckles, a talking monkey. But that's a whole other story (No, I umm… lost my muses… -__- Writer's block is a very evil thing). And the memory flash backs will start in the next two or three chapters. Thanks for reviewing!

**Onigiri-Momoko:** I updated! Thanks for reviewing!  

(8-29-03) 

Version 2


	8. Echoes

"… My tears keep overflowing; I can't see your last smile through the blur… Please don't go and leave me alone…"

~*~  Yubiwa ~*~ 

**Chapter Seven: Echoes******

_Riiiiiiing Riiiiiiiing Riiiiiiing_**__**

"Hey, Ari, can you get that?" Amano's voice sounded from the study. 

"Okay!" Five year-old Ari shouted back, tearing his bright green eyes regretfully away from his favorite cartoon as he ran towards the phone on his short legs. 

"Hello?" The little boy asked breathlessly, proud of his ability to answer the phone. 

"Hi Ari, is Amano in?" Yukari's cheerful voice asked from the other end. 

"Mmmhmmm… just a sec…" Ari answered, walking dutifully towards Amano's study, "Are you still taking me to the park today?" 

Yukari giggled, "Yes, and maybe we'll stop for ice cream too, okay?" 

"Weeeeeeee! Thanks 'Kari!" Ari handed the phone over to the much older man, who had stopped his typing to watch the glee on the little boy's face. "It's for you Amano…" 

The older man nodded in thanks and took the phone from Ari, waiting until he left before talking, "What's going on, my ravishingly beautiful girlfriend?" 

The red head nervously twirled the phone cord between her fingers on her end of the line, "A-Any news from the police yet on Hitomi?" 

Amano's silence on the other end answered the younger girl's question. 

Yukari sighed tiredly and slide down against the wall she had been standing next to, "What are we going to do if they can't—" 

"Don't say that…" The older man cut in, his hand tightening around the phone, "I promise you Yukari, everything's going to be alright. Hitomi will come back… we've… just got to believe in her…" 

Yukari sighed again, biting her lip, "How's Ari doing…?" 

Amano leaned back in his desk chair, glancing at the younger boy who was now back to sitting in front of the TV. "He's still been having the nightmares of chasing after her."  

Amano could tell by his girlfriend's uncharacteristic silence that she was fighting back tears. 

"I-I'll be over to pick him for the park around 3:00, okay?" Yukari said, wiping her eyes. 

"Okay…" Amano replied, sitting back up straight in the chair,  "Hey…" 

"Hmm…?

"I love you."

"I love you too, Amano…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Van's smell was intoxicating as I clung unto him, lost and confused for those first, few, fleeting seconds between sleep and reality. I didn't remember falling asleep in this particular position. 

Van's hand traced lazy circles up and down my spine, my body molded into his as we lay together on the sofa. I felt the muscles of his chest tense up as he realized I was awake. 

"Hey." He whispered hoarsely, a faint smile on his lips. 

"Hey." I echoed, a soft blush crossing my cheeks. Shyly, I slowly edged myself away from him, almost painfully aware of how close we where. His hand slid up to cup the side of my face, and all my movement ceased. Unconsciously, a strangled sigh escaped my lips. 

Why does this feel so familiar…?  

I bit my lip; brushing away the indecisive emotions to the back of my mind as I attentively relaxed back into his arms, burying my face against the warmth of his bare neck. 

Van shifted under my weight, moving slightly to accommodate our new position. I rested my forehead against the warmth of his bare neck, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding as his arms re-wrapped around me.  

Long, lean fingers stroked over my spine, and all thoughts left my mind, his hands moving up my back until they burrowed into my hair. I lay there completely still as he lifted the strands and let them fall again, listening to his slow breathing as it grew hypnotic.

I tilted my head up towards him, sighing contently, too lost in the new emotions I felt inside of me to notice how my lips where grazing his jaw line. 

I felt him tense at our new proximity, and slowly, his fingers moved from my hair to my cheek, tracing lightly over it, as he carefully watched me, his eyes glazed over with something I couldn't read.  I almost stopped breathing as his thumb traced over my bottom lip. 

"Can I kiss you?" He whispered into my hair, his breath smelling slightly of spices. 

Slowly, I nodded my head, moving his with mine in the simple motion, every uncertain emotion in my heart swallowed by the dark look in his eyes.

I could feel the heat from his blush as he slowly slanted his face towards me, his lips shyly brushing against mine. I forgot everything all the hurt inside of me as he kissed me, slowly and gently; his lips sweet tasting like honeysuckle and strawberries. 

I don't know at what point I began to kiss back, I was so lost in the sensations that he was causing inside of me. Without thinking I let my arm fail in support of my body, and collapsed to lie flat on the couch. Van followed me down, his lips now hungrily on mine, and then shifted to cover my prone form with his own body. The entire motion was a possessive gesture, done almost more for symbolism than for comfort. 

He slowly pulled away first, resting his forehead against mine as he ended the kiss. 

I felt his fingertips brush against my cheek along with his hot erratic breath, and my eyes fluttered open to meet his darker ones.

He was watching me intently, his fingers tracing lazy circles around my cheeks as he waited for my response. I leaned into the warmth of his hand, feeling my throat grow tighter as I placed my hand over his. 

"Van, I---" 

A soft knock on the door cut me short as it echoed around the room, followed by a muffled voice.

"Milord, Senator Mika is here to see you. He says it's urgent."  

Van groaned in frustration, leaning forward to nuzzle his face against the crook of my neck, causing me to shiver despite myself. 

"I'll see you in a few hours…" He whispered into my hair before kissing me roughly on the forehead as he regretfully pulled his body off of me.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I laid spread eagle on my bed, oblivious to Merle and Rena's happy chatter as they picked out my evening attire for the dinner party celebrating Allen's arrival tonight. 

Millions of confused thoughts and emotions bounced around in my head, each one more scattered then the last as I lay there. I felt like an awkward teenybopper again, my stomach full of hyperactive caffeine-hyped butterflies and still slightly weak in the knees after what had happened not more then two hours ago. 

I can't put it into words but… That kiss… it made me feel like I was one step closer to finding out who I was inside. Like I had found another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of my memories, in Van. 

"Did you hear anything that I just said?" Merle demanded, poking me hard in the still slight bruised ribs. 

"No…" I answered dazedly, absently staring at the ceiling. 

Merle cocked her head to the side, "Are you feeling alright, you've been awfully quiet…" 

I shrugged, "Just thinking…" 

Merle raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "About, wha--?" 

"Ah ha!" Rena poked her head out of the wardrobe she had been busily digging through. "How about this one for tonight?" 

I propped myself up on one elbow to see what new monstrosity of silk and lace they had found this time. 

The older girl held out a crimson wine colored dress, with a tight fitting bodice and a wide neckline that would fall delicately off of my shoulders once I would put it on. In a word; it was beautiful. 

"Hmmm…" Merle thought out loud as she looked back and forth between the dress, and me, "It's not pink, but I guess it will do…" 

I rolled my eyes, ignoring Merle, "Thank you Rena, it's perfect for tonight." 

"You'll be gorgeous." Rena said, winking at me, as she busied herself with putting away the small mountain of dresses that had failed the Merle stamp of approval for tonight.  

"That's what I'm worried about." Merle grumbled, plucking the book she had borrowed from Van's study last night out of a pile of dresses. 

"What does that mean?" I asked, now sitting up properly. 

Merle shrugged, flipping to the page she had left off on as she sat down on my sofa. "It's just that A—" 

"Ahem," A servant broke in from the doorway, his face pale and looked uneasy, "Sir Allen's leviship just landed." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Allen! Alleeeeeeeennnnn! You're here! You're really hereeeeee!"  Merle shouted, darting towards him on all four paws, tackling the man in tight hug. 

"Merle! It's been too long!" The tall blond hair man laughed, affectionately rumpling the cat girl's hair as he returned the hug.

"I missed too, you stupid mangy human! You have to come to visit more often!" 

"My duty is to serve and protect the people of Astoria," Allen answered, breaking the hug, "But if you got the cook to serve more of that Dragonfruit cake I love, I might just happen to forget more often about the call of duty." 

Merle giggled, "I'll see what I can do about that…" She paused and looked over his shoulder "Where's Celena?" 

"Helping Princess Millerna and Eries plan for the big day." The older man sighed and shook his head ruefully, "You've never seen ladies of the court bicker over the smallest things as they are; they have the entire city in a uproar." 

"Well that should please Celena." 

"It does. A little too much." The man answered, looking past Merle and towards the archway where I was standing. The Knight's face paled, his eyes as big as dinner plates, as if he was staring at some walking eight-legged freak.

Except he was looking at me. 

And I only have two legs, thank you very much. 

"Hitomi…" His voice was soft as moved towards me, his silk overcoat rustling in the slight wind. The Heavenly Knight bowed deeply his long blond hair floating around like a halo as he offered me his hand. Shyly, I slipped my free hand into his, paling as his lips brushed against my knuckles. 

"It's so good to see your face again, Hitomi." Crystal blue eyes met mine, half covered by spun-gold hair as he looked down at me, his face dark with something I couldn't quite read, "It's been far too long since our paths last crossed." 

I smiled shyly, biting my lip nervously. 

Merle, sensing my unease, popped up between us, taking Allen by the arm, "Come on, let's go find Lord Van." The cat girl glanced at me, smiling sadly, "Things have changed a lot since last time you where here, Allen." 

Between meeting Allen and the dinner party, tonight promised to be a very long night indeed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~ I pressed harder up against Hitomi, pushing her against the frame of her door, moaning softly against her soft lips as I kissed her hungrily. Her hands shyly slide up my chest, up past my… her… _our_… pendent that's glowing slightly from it's place around my neck, her fingers feeling like drops of rain against my skin as before making their way into my hair. 

The past two hours had been insensate torture for us both, her eyes looked so lost and scared at dinner, surrounded by strange people and so many lost memories, I had spent the evening silently wishing away the hurt I saw in those jade orbs. I had wanted nothing more but to hide her away from my world of politicians and aristocratic formalities, to keep her away from the prying eyes that had stared at us both the entire evening; to keep away from her everything that made her feel scared or uneasy.  

Her face was thoroughly flushed as she pulled away from my exploring lips, resting her head against my chest as she sorted through her emotions. My sword calloused hands crept up her back and into the intricately woven mass of curls of her hair, my breathing as hard as hers.

I vaguely wondered if she could hear my rapidly beating heart, as she closes her eyes, limply clinging to my chest. To me, she's never looked so beautiful as she does blushing from our kisses.  I re-wrapped both arms around her.

"You okay?" I whispered quietly in her ear. 

She nodded slightly. 

"Tired?"

She nodded again, nuzzling her face against my chest in the process, making me shiver. 

"You should get some sleep." I whisper, pushing back a stray hair from her face.

Her eyes go wide, "But I—" 

I placed a single finger against her kiss-swollen lips, and she fell silent, still clinging to me tightly. 

"Shhh…" I whispered, more quietly this time almost as if I was afraid that I that had scared her. I leaned forward slowly, and brushed my lips against her soft, flushed cheek, "Good night Hitomi…" 

She nodded, smiling softly as she holds me close before she pulled away, strands of her once gracefully piled hair now loose from its coiffure. 

"Good night Van…" She whispers, before disappearing behind her door for the night. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Feeling like I was going to explode from pure happiness I sunk down against the door, a tired, but goofy smile on my face. 

Every single uneasy feeling in my soul wiped away by Van's gentle kisses… even all the hurt from spending the entire night begging the floor to swallow me alive and save me from all the polite dinner talk, was washed away by his soft touch. 

So this is what it feels like to be in lo---

Out of the corner of my eye, the shadows in my darkened room shift slightly against my bed. 

"Merle?" 

No answer.

I felt suddenly cold, and all of the happy feelings vanished from within me. A lump grew in my throat as I fumbled for the doorknob behind me, "Merle, it's not funny…" 

The shadows shifted again and a man stepped out of hiding, a faint metallic gleam of a dagger in his hand.  

"Scream and I'll slit your throat." 

**A/N:** *pants* Sorry… about this chapter… being so choppy… Cliffhangers… and kissing… scenes… are…hard… to… write… *faints*

Review or else something **_bad_** might happen *menacingly evil glare* 

**Onigiri Momoko:** Cheers to even **_more_** VxH fluff! (everyone: double awwwww!) 

**Raye-Rei:** Aye, aye Captain Crunch! Thanks for reviewing! 

**SabineballZ:** Allen? Make a move on Hitomi? Poor _defenseless_ Hitomi? *cackle* No, that would just be cruel and unusual punishment for anyone to read, let alone for me to write. Thanks for reviewing! 

**pogo the kosher penguin:** Eep! Yes she did! Thanks for reviewing! 

**Laka:** Well, you could always bribe me with another review… =^_^=

**Lydiby:** TMI? Of course not, fellow track nerd! *^_^ Yeah, I know in the actual series, she **does** where spikes… my bad. Thanks for reviewing! 

**Colin:** Thanks for helping out the cause and reviewing! 

**Allidoisreadfanfics:** Teheheeee… Sorry to keep you waiting…

**Aradow:** I've written fics before that weren't in 1st POV, and for some reason people never seem to review them like they do my 1st POV. But, I'm glad you liked! And thanks for reviewing! 

**Candyfloss:** Thanks for reviewing Candy!  

And Special Kudos to Beta Reader extraordinaire **Aurora Moon**! I 3 YOU! THANKS!  

Aug/ 29 / 2003 

Version 1


	9. Think Twice

"…And every time I run to you, you're there for me… and every time I have a wound inside, you heal… And right now, in this silence, I feel my heart draw near to you…" 

:: Run To You (The Piano Song):: LaRue :: 

**Chapter Eight: Think Twice**

"Scream and I'll slit your throat."

And what? Just let you kidnap and torture me without a fight? 

I think **_not_**. 

Alright, I'll admit it, even though I knew my life is in the hands of some maniac who seemed to enjoy the thought of plunging his sharp pointy into me; I did the last thing that any sane person would've done. Forgive me, but when you're in a life or death situation, you're welcome to handle it however you bloody well want. 

So, I let out a heart retching banshee of a scream.

The man said one of those words your mommy wouldn't want you repeating, and swung his knife at me, the blunt end connecting with my temple, causing white-hot pain to retch through me as I crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.

The sickening metallic taste of blood… filled my mouth as I pulled my self up to my knees. The man moved towards me… the butt of his knife tainted with my blood, a psychotic smile across his face. My eyes stung… and my head was spinning as I gave another scream; raspier and weaker then the first…

Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea… 

The man swore again and… slapped me hard, across the face… pain as hot as burning oil shot through me along with the looming icy blackness of unconsciousness as I fell back to the ground.  

The man straddled me… almost crushing me underneath his weight as his hands closed around… my wrists as I… I thrashed against him for my life…

His fingernails dug into the soft flesh of my wrists, breaking my skin.  I gurgled angrily at him, sputtering swear words and whole-hearted threats… 

"Shut _up_." 

He slapped me again, harder…

My head snapped to the side from its impact… the thick metallic taste of blood filling my mouth…

Something… I hear… something above the b-buzzing in my ears…there… again… my name…? 

H-he pinned me… **_No_**… **_Let go_**… my arms… rope… on my wrists…

…I-I can't breath… 

Blood… There's so much blood…  

…on… it's on my face… I-I can't _move_… I… 

There's so much blood…  

I…Van…

A hand brushes across my forehead, and a strangled scream escapes my throat as I come to. Reflexively, a hand clamps down across my mouth; silencing my pleas for help as the other arm forcibly presses me against a male chest, trying to calm my thrashing with his weight. 

"Shhh… shh… you're safe…" 

A darkened face swims in and out of focus in the soft candlelight of the murky room, I blink hard and dark locks half-hiding maroonly coca eyes slowly come into focus in front of me, causing relief to wash over me.  Cautiously, Van pulled with hand away from my mouth, his thumb lingering slightly across my broken bottom lip as in an apology for something. A half-whimper escaped me as I literally threw myself against his chest, dry sobs racking through my entire body.  

With some effort, he managed to raise us both into a half sitting position on the floor against a wall, his arms tightening almost painfully around me as with each shuddering sob. 

I can barely feel Van's hands on my back as they make lazy circles across it… My mind is placidly wandering the thin line of consciousness as I cling helplessly to him. 

"Is he--?" I ask weakly, inhaling a gulp of air in a feeble attempt to calm myself. 

"Allen is taking care of it," he whispered softly, pressing my body closer into his embrace. I bite back a moan of pain as his fingers brush across my temple as he attempt to calm me. 

A mumbled curse mixed with apologizes and my name tumbles out of Van's mouth, as his fingers gently push back the hair from my forehead. More curses spill out as he touches the purple bruises forming on my temple. 

"I'm so sorry…" He whispered, lightly kissing the bruise as I pass out again. 

_"Y-you're an angel…"_

_"Van! Van, hang on! Can you hear me? Van, wake up!"_

_"What about giving up on both, and become the tragic heroine?"_

_"... From now on, I want you to stay with me." _

_"I-I **want** you...!"_

_"You believe in Van, don't you?"_

**A/N:** Well? I really didn't take care of the cliffhanger, but I'll tie up the loose ends of this one before I move on to my next death-defying stunt of grammatically improper English. 

All the fuzzy 'likkle lines, if you haven't caught on yet, where lines from the series. Half-memories rattled back into place by Hitomi having her brain beat in, if you will. And you all just thought that I only wanted to have Van and Hitomi play damsel in distress with a knight in shinning armor coming to her rescue, eh? 

Well, I'm off to save the world and what not. 

Remember, an R&R a day keeps the unhappy writer's block away… savvy? 

(Yeah, that was bad…) 

**CharlieTheOtakuNymph: **Hehehehee… I take that you liked the cliffhanger?** =^_^= **Thanks for R&R!

**Laka: **I'm glad you liked it. =^_^= This fic has been a riot to write, and I'll keep writing it as long as people will read it. Thanks for R&R! 

**Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend:** No, Dilly-kun and Celeana will NOT be the same person in this fic. Celeana will probably only mentioned by name and referenced to by Allen and his crew, so I don't think Hitomi will be physically meeting her. Dilly probably won't be in this either. Mentioned, maybe, but he won't be in it because I have a lot of trouble keeping him in character while I write. Dilly is, for me right now, too multi-dimensional for me to keep him in within character lines, and I don't like writing about a character if I have to take him out of already developed character guidelines. Err… I did take artistic liberties with Hitomi's character for this fic, but I think it turned out for the best. Thanks for reading! 

**Aradow:** BING! BING! WE HAVE A WINNER! *bounces around* The uh, now dead guy, was/is in league with the baddies from the woods! But more about that in the next chapter… Thanks for reading! 

**Aya_chan:** I'm glad you like it so far! Thanks for reading! 

**Avelyn Lauren:** Sacastic? Meeeeee? Neeeeever! About the issue of there being too much fluff in a fic, I promise Van and Hitomi won't be comparing each other's eyes to celestial bodies while I'm around. There's a limit to the stupidity of fluff, even for me. 

**Raye-Rei: **Weeeeeeee! I'm glad you liked it! Those fluff scenes are the dickens for me to write, but they come out pretty spiffy in the end, don't they? 

**Cherryblossombabe:** No, there won't be a love triangle. Some sexual tension between them at most, but no older blond men will be proclaiming their ever lasting love to Hitomi while I'm around. 

**hitomi-chan:** My beta reader has a cow whenever I decide to throw in a fluff scene, because I rewrite them so often. *cackle* I must've rewritten the kissing scenes at least two dozen times each. Their first kiss (well, second if you count that one in chapter 1, but that really wasn't a proper kiss) needed to be _perfect_, ya' know? Thanks for reading! 

**SabineballZ:** Well, bits and pieces of her memory have started to come back; and the rest will come back once I knock some more sense into her :: insert scary foreboding music ::  And what will happen once she gets her memory back… I have a pretty good idea, but if you think this cliffhanger was bad, you'll probably hunt me down and literally kill me for the next one. It's gonna be baaaaaaaaaad. 

**WildCat: **The cliffhanger was a totally unplanned reaction to writing all that fluff. Sometimes it's fun to spoil the 'happily-ever-after-moment' with a hundred foot tall bug chasing the lovebirds around, ya know? Thanks for R&R! 

**Onigiri Momoko: **Don't worry, no love triangles will happen while it's my watch. Some obscure sexual tension at most, but probably nothing more. VxH true love over comes all evil little blond men and all that jazz. 

Sept. 15, 2003 

Version 1 


	10. In the Night

"…I know that you hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me. Your words where like a dream… but dreams could never fool me, not that easily…" 

::A Thousand Words :: JADE (Final Fantasy X-2 closing theme) ::                                                                                                                                        

 **Chapter Nine: In the Night**

"What do you mean she isn't dead?" Barked a male voice, as the sound of glass shattering echoed around the room. 

"That's what the message said," the servant whimpered, broken fragments of a wine bottle scattered around him along with the liquid crimson. 

"I want her head brought to me on a silver platter before the week is over! I'm going to eat that wench's eyes with a fork!"   

~*~           

The room I awoke in smelled fresh and clean, like cedar and larkspur. I slowly sat up, feeling sweat soaked and slightly nauseated. 

Flickering light of kerosene lamps lit the room from their hangings on the wall next to the thick, velvety looking drapes embossed with the now somewhat familiar crest of Fanelia. The only sounds that I could hear was the sound of soft breathing and the ticking clock above the fireplace mantel. 

The sounds of soft breathing came from Van, who was mumbling something in his sleep as he shifted slightly in his chair, which was tilted at a dangerous angle against the wall, his head resting against his chest with his sword on his lap. Allen was sitting next to him in a similar position, his blond hair falling in disarray across his face so I couldn't see his eyes. From the sight stubble of both of their faces, they must've spent the night. 

Careful not to wake either of them, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, dizzily moving towards the bathroom to be sick. 

I rinsed my mouth with some fresh water that was in a pitcher above the washbasin after I had finished, feeling worse if possible after emptying the contents of my stomach. My head was spinning as I slinked down to the cold tiled floor of the small room. Voices echoed dully in my head… 

_"Have you seen my medicine, honey?" _

_"It's in the medicine cabinet behind Ari's asthma inhaler."_

_"Thanks… I'm going to lay down for a nap before we have to leave for the airport; can you go pick Ari from school, Hitomi?"_

_"Yeah sure."_

_"Hitomi?"_

"Hitomi?!" 

"I'm in here," I called back weakly, leaning my head against the cedar wall of the room. My breathing was hard and loud in my ears, echoing around and drowning out my thoughts. 

The male voice swore loudly, and the sound of heavy footsteps could by heard as Van bolted into view, his hair askew and his shirt half unbuttoned as he leaned over to lift me up beneath my shoulders, his arms locking then around my torso, forcibly picking me up.

"Is she alright?" Allen's voice asked as he moved into view. Van told him something, and nodding, the blond knight disappeared. 

_"Hey, mom?"_

_"Hmm…?" "_

_Are you feeling okay?" _

_"Yeah, it's just a migraine…"_

_"Are you sure? The doctor said—"_

_"It's just from all this stress from planning this party. Don't worry. After tonight everything will be better. Promise."_

Blankets found their way around me, and I collapsed back boneless against a pillow. Allen reappeared, with something in his hand. Van took it from him--- a bottle --- and poured some of its contents into a mug that had been on the nightstand next to the bed. 

"Drink this; it will help ease the pain."

Van's fingers press against the nape of my neck; and a warm, bittersweet liquid flows into my mouth. Coughing, I swallowed most of the wine, a faint trail of it running down my chin from my coughing fit. Fingers brush it away. 

"Can you eat?" 

I shake my head as fingers find their way to my forehead, gently pushing back my bangs, as the back of a hand presses against my clammy forehead.

"She's running a fever," Allen's voice carried on, as a wet cloth brushed against my forehead. 

"Do _not_ leave the room without Allen or myself with you again," Van's eyes locked unto mine intently, "Do you understand?" 

"It wasn't that far---" 

"_Promise_ me." I flinched at Van's tone, feeling as if I had been slapped.

"I-I promise." 

Van's form visibly slackened and relaxed, he leaned forward and chastely kissed my forehead. Allen looked away.

"Thank you." 

~*~

Allen frowned, twisting the hilt of his sword between the palms of his hands, his blue eyes clouded over thought. 

We where in my private study, which was adjacent to my bedroom, with the door between the room open to such a angle where I could see Hitomi's sleeping form. 

The sword of the assassin lay across my desk, flecked with the owner's blood, next to where my feet where propped up on the mahogany structure. 

Allen glanced over his shoulder at the open door, "She's sleeping peacefully, that's a good sign. Once the fever lifts she should be through the worst of it."

I shook my head, swinging my feet off of the desk and standing, moving to the darkened window, "She's still in danger. Once word leaks out that she's still alive they'll just come back again, and again until the job's finished."

The blond knight sighed, pulling a flask from his front pocket and took a swig from it before tossing it unto me. The bitter taste of alcohol filled my mouth, calming my nerves. 

"Does Fanelia have any enemies?" Allen asked, sitting up a little straighter, "Anyone who would be willing to try to assonate who I assume will be the future queen?" 

_Future Queen_… The two words echoed in my head mockingly as my hand tightening around the flask so my knuckles turned white. 

Was this the kind of life I – _we_ – looked forward to? Waiting until my throne slowly poisoned us both to death? 

I took another deep drink from the flask.

She had been with me for less then a month and I had already managed to place her into danger. I won't fail her again. 

"Van?" 

"We're having minor trade disputes with the neighboring country to the south, but my ambassadors have almost settled the manner completely," I tossed the flask back to it's owner, turning then so my back was to the window, "I can't think of any other reasons politically why this happened." 

I glanced over at the sword that was laying on my desk, frowning, "Are you sure he said nothing before he killed himself?" 

Allen nodded, his forehead creasing as he tucked his flask back into his pocket, "By the time I had gotten to him he had already slit his own throat. A most dishonorable way for any warrior to die." 

I bit my lip, leaning my head against the cold glass, "What do we do now? We can't wait until they strike again." 

"There… is one thing that we could do…" Allen said, running his fingers over his chin, the slightest shadow of facial hair already appearing on it, "We could take her into hiding; to someplace safe until the assassin is found…" 

I frowned, watching the sandy haired lump on the bed roll over, "Where to though? We can't go into this blindly, there's a chance that we could be putting her in danger as much as there is one we could be keeping away from it." 

"There is one place where no one could find us," Allen said slowly, standing up and moving towards my desk. A single candle illuminated the room, flickering on my desk. Allen seemed to watch it like a cat hunting a mouse. 

His eyes then caught mine and he pulled on his ear, silently suggesting that someone might be listening. I nodded, glancing around the room. After what happened earlier, it would be best to assume that the walls already had ears. 

"Do you have a map?" 

"Yes," I moved towards my desk, pulling a thick roll of parchment from a drawer and unrolling it. 

Allen leaned over to look at it, leaning his weight on his right arm as his left hand smoothly ran atop of the candle, putting out the flame with his bare fingers as he leaned further over the desk. 

The room fell into darkness, but I still could make out the faint trace of Allen's finger as he marked a trail that led to the mountainous-shared border between Fanelia and Austria where we had first met. 

The Fortress. 

"We'll have to leave soon," He said, dropping his voice a little more then a whisper, "It's a hard ride with a horse with a doubled burden." 

"'We'?" 

"She's injured and you're not thinking clearly because of that," Allen said, standing, "Besides, you'll need someone else with you case you run into trouble." 

I glanced over at Hitomi, who was still fast asleep in my bed. I had to protect her. 

"When do we leave?" 

"Within the hour. I'll saddle the horses. Meet me in the stables ready to ride." 


End file.
